Tag Archives: canyon

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspen Grove in Shade

October 17, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A hillside grove of autumn aspens in early morning shadows

I think there may be at least a couple of things worth discussing about this photograph — both from a slightly technical point of view and from an “opportunity” perspective, as in what photographic opportunities might be available in this part of the Sierra when focusing on the subject of autumn aspen trees. The technical issue (though it really turns out to be an aesthetic issue in the end) is one that I’ve discussed before, namely the kinds of light in which one can photograph aspen and other fall color. This photograph was made in fairly deep shade, and the trees stand on a slope of a tall mountain that blocks the morning sun until several hours after sunrise. I went here largely because of that — and the beautiful trees! — because I wanted to photograph in this soft light. Photographing these trees in shade reduces the huge contrast in light levels between highlights and shadows that we must deal with when the trees are lit directly by the sun. The intensity of the colors can increase and the light fills in the shadows, revealing details that disappear in harsh midday light. (One challenge is handling the blue quality of light that comes from the open sky, but that is perhaps a topic for another post.)

The second observation has to do with the types of aspen trees found in the Sierra. People who have seen the huge groves to straight and tall aspens in places like Colorado and Utah often remark on the many small and twisted aspens in the eastern Sierra. They are right to do so — many of “our” aspens are shorter, the groves frequently (though not always) are limited in their extent, and the tall and straight trees are less common. However, that is part of what I like about the Sierra aspens — the variety of “aspen personalities” is remarkable, ranging from brilliantly colorful but very small scrub aspens to some examples of tall and straight trees with thick trunks. This photograph combines the two. The presence of the smaller foreground trees provides color in front of the revealed trunks of this grove of tall and straight trees.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Peak Aspen Color

October 16, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

An eastern Sierra Nevada aspen grove at the peak of fall color

I regard fall aspen photography as, to a great extent, an exercise in timing. One element of this is, of course, to simply be in the right place at times of peak color. Aspen color is rarely static, and from day to day it changes. Just a few days earlier I had been in this same spot and most of the trees were still green. (I made a mental note on that earlier visit to come back in a few days when I suspected that the colors might be more developed.) The time of day is also critical since light variations play a huge role in the ways the colors appear. Early and late in the day, when the trees are still in shadow but perhaps lit by open sky and reflections from surrounding mountains, the soft light can produce rather saturated colors and fill the shadows with light. When backlit, the same groves might be so bright that it is sometimes difficult to figure out the idea exposure. And when the groves are front lit the colors can be greatly diminished.

Before we came to this spot we had started our day by photographing in a rather different area a few miles away. We worked those subjects for perhaps an hour and a half, and at that point I remembered my idea of visiting this other location, the one where I made this photograph, before the direct sunlight arrived. So off we went, down one canyon and then up another, to arrive at this spot where I knew colorful aspen trees would spread up the hillside in the shade. The colors were quite incredible. Most of the hillside was in full color — a lot of golden/yellow, but also shades of orange and red. Here and there a few trees where still green, and for this composition I decided to place one of those clusters of green trees in almost the center of a frame otherwise filled with wild colors.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

River Of Aspens

October 14, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A river of autumn aspen trees descends a valley and turns around a side hill

I made this photograph during a brief visit to a familiar place, one that I probably have photographed from time to time over a period of about a decade. It is interesting to think about how my relationship to the location has changed over the years. The first time I visited, it held an almost mythical attraction, with several features that are iconic enough that at least three views of the location are quite well-known. But back then the number of photographers going here was a fraction of what it is today when sometimes it feels like the “east side” is virtually over-run by photographers in the fall. I suppose that this allowed me to mostly get past those standard views and simply regard this location as simply one among many beautiful spots in the general area.

Yet, certain features still have the potential to produce especially memorable conditions. This “river of aspens,” snaking down a shallow canyon and around an outcropping before ending at the shore of a lake, is one of these features. The colors can vary quite a bit during the season and between successive seasons. I’ve arrived to find it almost completely green… or to find that almost all of the leaves had already fallen. I’ve been chased away by snow and wind. This year the situation was, again, somewhat different from what I’ve seen in the past. The colors were mostly intense when I arrived, yet they ranged from green through almost bare trees. Rather than trying to take in the entire view, I constrained my framing and worked for a composition that might draw attention to the fluid curve of the grove as it nears its end at the shoreline of the lake.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Leaning Aspen Trees, Reflections, Autumn

October 12, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Leaning aspen trees with autumn colors, reflected in an Eastern Sierra Nevada pond

On the first day of this short trip to the Sierra Nevada, with photographs of fall color our objective, we followed a long driving route to the east side so that we could take a look at a wide range of locations. We began by crossing the range quite far to the north at Carson Pass, then headed south over Monitor Pass to US 395, and from there we continued toward our eventual destination in Bishop. Along the way we made quite a few stops and a few side-trips to look at and photograph fall color. By the middle of the day it became clear that we were going to be dealing with wind. (In fact, by the time we arrived in Bishop after dark it was so windy that driving was starting to be an “interesting” experience.) Wind is not generally regarded as being helpful when photographing aspen trees — though there are some ways to deal with it — so eventually we sought out locations where it was moderated a bit.

One way to get out of the worst of the worst winds is to leave the wide-open country east of the range and head up into the narrower canyons. While this typically doesn’t eliminate wind completely, it often does block the worst of it. That’s just what we finally did, turning up into a familiar canyon and driving almost to the end of the road. Here we arrived at a location with quiet ponds surrounded by all kinds of trees, including some with fall foliage. Along the edge of one pond and its boggy surroundings we found large aspen trees leaning away from the water. My assumption is that the soggy ground was no longer solid enough to hold the trees and something, probably even stronger wind than we were dealing with, pushed them toward the nearby grove. Many of the trees were still alive, though you have to wonder whether their current lean angle is the end of the story!

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: canyon

Aspen Grove in Shade

Peak Aspen Color

River Of Aspens

Leaning Aspen Trees, Reflections, Autumn

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.